Now is the time for Wrexham AFC to cash-in on player after 14-goal top-flight haul | OneFootball

Wrexham AFC will have no better opportunity to make money off Sam Dalby than this summer

Every football club has its share of complex decisions to make during the transfer window, and Wrexham AFC have a particularly tricky one they must revisit this summer.

Finding a consistent goalscoring threat will undoubtedly be on the minds of the club’s management team as they prepare to compete in the Championship next season.

For all the great additions that came through their door in the previous winter and summer transfer window, one flourished during a loan spell away from the club, leaving Wrexham with a much tougher decision than many had thought.

Sam Dalby has rediscovered his scoring touch this season

After struggling to find consistency in League Two with Phil Parkinson’s side, the club decided it was best to give Sam Dalby a fresh look elsewhere. In late August, they loaned him out to Dundee United, a newly promoted side in the Scottish Premiership.

Dalby has been a dream for the Terrors, scoring 14 goals in the top flight. His contributions have enabled Jim Goodwin’s men to reach the 50-point plateau in this competition for the first time since 2014-25 (56 points).

Dalby is enjoying life in Scotland, starting regularly, and the Tangerines would love to see him return.

Goodwin told the Daily Record last month: “We’re going to try and compete and hold on to Sam.

“We are realistic about that situation, but at the same time, if ever there was a player worth pushing the boat out for, then a proven goal-scorer would certainly be that.”

Unfortunately for Goodwin, that decision is out of their hands.

Dalby’s splendid season with the club, combined with the Red Dragons’ lack of goal-scoring depth, has some wondering if the Welsh side should have a rejuvenated Dalby back in the fold next season.

Wrexham offered Dalby an extension

With Paul Mullin struggling to find his form and the Red Dragons not conjuring up much in the attacking third, it seemed like a Sam Dalby return might be in the cards early into 2025.

After all, the man from Leytonstone was the leading goalscorer in the Scottish Premiership in January, and Wrexham were behind in the battle for automatic promotion.

In the end, the club decided to let him continue with the Scottish outfit until the end of the campaign and take their chances with newcomers Sam Smith and Jay Rodriguez.

While he remained at Dundee, Dalby received an extension offer, which was announced on the club's website in January.

Presumably, that offer will still be on the table when his Dundee loan ends on May 31.

Sam Dalby will never be the main man at Wrexham

Looking at Dalby’s overall numbers at Wrexham, it’d be easy to say he wasn’t up to the task; however, that may be a little unfair.

He wasn’t the prolific goalscorer that Dundee fans have seen, but he was always going to be overshadowed by Mullin’s form and how well he, Ollie Palmer, and Elliott Lee thrived in the National League and League Two.

Dalby was still a solid contributor for Wrexham, winning 15 possessions in the final third in League Two and creating 22 chances per FotMob. A mere seven goals in two domestic campaigns does not necessarily reflect a player who underperformed.

If anything, his time at Dundee United showed that he can thrive in a starring role, but the only problem is that it’s unlikely he’ll ever be the leading man for the Red Dragons. Promising him the moon to return to Wrexham would not be fair to a player like Sam Smith, who was so key to their League One promotion.

What Dalby’s done this season has garnered plenty of attention from other clubs, and there’s surely one that would give him what all strikers desire: a starring role.

Now is the perfect time for Wrexham to cash in on Sam Dalby

As easy as it may be on the outside to look at Dalby’s contributions at Dundee and say Wrexham need him back, there are two sides to every story.

The other side to Dalby’s story right now is that clubs are interested in acquiring him. The Daily Record reports that Blackpool manager Steve Bruce recently took in a Dundee United fixture, and the former Newcastle United boss is seeking a new number nine.

Dalby is at the top of his game right now, and I’m sure many more clubs, along with Dundee and Blackpool, will inquire about him. Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have to know they stand to make a lot of money if they sell Dalby this summer, a lot more than they’d have got had they moved him last summer. They may not get a better offer for him than this summer at his age and with the season he’s had.

Wrexham need to address many positions ahead of the Championship campaign, and selling Dalby should give them plenty of extra cash to pursue some experienced talent at this level to fill those spots.

Difficult as it might be to say goodbye after what he’s done in Scotland, selling him might make it easier for Wrexham to piece a more complete squad capable of competing for a place in the Premier League.

Ultimately, there are many more benefits for Dalby and the club to move on this summer.